A Grimm Possibility II
by The Optimistic Scholar
Summary: The Further adventures of Anne and Kim Possible, warriors in an epic conflict dating back generations, and those few who can see what others cannot. Along with their Wesen comrades, mother and daughter fight to rid the world of evil and protect the world, both human and Wesen alike.
1. Dragons and Trolls

No matter how old you get, there are just certain things that you never outgrow; PB&J, Saturday morning cartoons. For Kimberly Anne Possible and Tara Marie Lutz, it was pajama parties. Ever since they were little girls, they'd all loved sleepovers. But since Kim's unexpected "defeat" of Bonnie Rockwaller, they had been a regular part of the teens' routine. Nothing could ever beat pizzas, soda, and movies all night. With the arrival of Monique Sawyer, Tara had been insistent that her "cousin" be included. It wasn't in any of the journals she'd read, but it had quickly become apparent that family, even "extended" family, was always first on the list of any Eisbeber you met. How…how could her ancestors justify cold bloodedly killing people like that?

"Here are your pizzas girls," Mrs. Lutz chirped, entering the family room and setting down two hot pizza boxes. "Enjoy; if you need anything, Mr. Lutz and I will be upstairs."

"Thanks Momma," Tara smiled, tossing paper plates to her two chums and making a beeline for the pepperoni pizza.

Pizza was shared out and the girls hunkered down to begin their musical movie all night marathon, beginning with _Singing in the Rain_. Both Kim and Tara were major stage junkies when they weren't cheerleading, having gotten both of the female leads in last year's MHS Drama Club performace of _Once Upon a Mattress_, and both were making concentrated efforts to get Monique into the genre too. As far as the pair was concerned, all acting had gone downhill since the Golden Age. You just didn't see triple threat performers like Gene Kelly, Fred Astair, or Donald O'Conner anymore and the ones you DID see…well, you wished you hadn't.

"What a glorious feeling," Tara sang along with the opening credits. "I'm HAPPY again!" Kim couldn't resist and started singing along as well until the lyrics cut out. "Hey Monique, you know the Sadie Hawkins dance is next week?" Monique nodded. "Well I heard that Charlie Hermann is really hoping he'll get asked by a certain Luisant-Pêcheur."

Kim's heart swelled upon hearing the news. If there were ever two people who deserved each other and could make each other happy, it would be Monique Sawyer and Charlie Hermann. Monique wasn't really in for gossip but rumors abounded that Charlie, the quintessential "good boy", was head over heels crazy about her. Monique had quite an inkling towards Charlie in her own right. But unbeknownst to the rest of the human community, Charlie was also a Seellengut. Seellengut, a sheep-type Wesen, were kind and loving if very timid when outside of a "herd"; which, when you thought about it, was one of the things that made Charlie the perfect guy for Monique. He was over the moon for her but too scared to ever ask her out. It would be a great confidence boost for Monique to have to make the first move.

"Ooooh, I think wedding bells are in the air," Kim teased, elbowing her friend while she was taking a bite of pizza.

"STOP it you two," Monique's cheeks turned scarlet and it seemed she couldn't hold back at least one girlish giggle.

The movie moved to its inevitable conclusion, all of the girls holding each other tight as Don Lockwood took off through the theater towards Kathy Selden, and a toast was raised to true love. The girls moved through their planned line-up, _Moulin Rouge, An American in Paris, Guys and Dolls_, _The Sound of Music_, and _Brigadoon_. Through a good deal of begging, Tara had made a good case for tacking _Rock of Ages_ onto the end, paying their respects to contemporary musicals. With tunes ringing through their heads and pizza digesting in their stomachs, all three clocked out for the night, dreaming of a dance with Gene Kelly, waltzing through and Austrian meadow, and jamming onstage at the Bourbon Room.

It was hours later when Kim jerked out of her fluffy blue sleeping bag. She…she'd been prancing through the Scottish Highlands, her plaid dress wafting in the breeze, and Gene was…NOT funny God! Wonderful dream or not, Kim officially needed a bathroom. She extricated herself from her sleeping bag and looked at the digital clock on top of the entertainment center…4 in the morning? If she was quick, she'd be able to doze off and hopefully find Gene once again. Thoroughly satisfied, Kim walked out of the upstairs bathroom and nearly into a droopy eyed Monique.

"Hmmm…dreaming about Charlie?" Kim teased, stumbling around her friend. Monique's only response was a deep yawn and to shove her way past.

Okay, Kim had had that one coming. She approached the stairs…and her ears perked up. Glass; she swore she just heard glass shattering. She tiptoed down to the landing. She was definitely hearing whispers coming from the living room. Thank goodness for Mom's training; Kim plastered herself to the corner and peaked inside. Her heart leapt up into her throat. This was no dream; four men were attempting stuff an unconscious Tara into a burlap sack! Kim…Kim would have to move fast. The four men didn't seem to be armed. Okay…it was maybe nine feet from here to her duffle where she had her kukris stashed. If she kept low…wait…Kim caught sight of a woge. Ugh! They were had yellowy leather skin! A few of them even seemed to have pointed ears. She wasn't even sure if she WANTED to know what they were. It didn't change the task ahead of her though. A faint thump above her disrupted her focus. Monique was standing halfway up the stairs, unsure at exactly what Kim was playing at.

"Some kind of Wesen is taking Tara," Kim whispered, silently making her way back up the stairs to her friend. "I'm gonna try and stop them. You go wake up Mr. and Mrs. Lutz."

Okay, back to her targets. Kim crept back down and…DAMN! They'd already gotten Tara in the sack and were making their way to the front door. At this point, SCREW the subtle stuff. Kim made a lightning dash for her duffle, snaked her hand inside, and grasped the black leather sheaths of her trusty weapons. She whipped the blades out and made a beeline for the front door. The Wesen were loading Tara into the trunk of a Lincoln of some kind. The athletic cheerleader turned Grimm took a running leap and landed squarely between the shoulders of the closest Wesen, forcing him to the ground with a loud _OOOMPH_. With the practiced motion that two years of training provided, Kim brought down the flat of her blade against her target's head, knocking him cold. This was only possible once however, as the Wesen's pals quickly realized that this little snatch and grab job wasn't going to be so simple. The Wesen who loaded her friend in the trunk took a seat in the passenger seat while two of the others made a charge at Kim. One of them looked to be carrying a baseball bat. The attacker swung it wildly at Kim but the blade of her kukri quickly embedded into the bat, allowing her to wrench it from the attacker's hands. His partner meanwhile made an attempt to flank Kim but was quickly met with a swift kick to the jaw.

"Pauley, Johnny, quit screwing around and grab the little…" The passenger halted in mid-sentence as Kim looked directly at him. "Santa Madre…SHE'S A GRIMM! DRIVE! DRIVE!"

The speeding car and the realization that they'd just been left behind left the two attackers pretty dumbstruck. Mr. Baseball Bat left an opening a mile wide and Kim took the opportunity to deliver a swift kick to the sternum. Partnership be damned; the other took off running in the direction of the speeding car. He could've disappeared entirely for all that Kim was aware. She knelt down on top of the Wesen and pressed her kukri to his throat."

"WHERE IS SHE? TELL ME WHERE YOU'VE TAKEN HER!" Kim growled pressing the blade until it lightly punctured the skin.

Whether he would've answered or not, the Wesen's life was saved by the rapidly approaching police cars. Lights quickly illuminated the front yard and calls for Kim to drop her weapons were quickly shouted. The kukris would require a little fast explaining but Kim knew very well to just drop the blades and obey the officers. There wasn't a lot of question who the bad guys were; after all, two hulking guys in dark clothes or a seventeen year old girl in her pajamas? The two kidnappers left behind were quickly handcuffed and shuffled into the backs of separate police cruisers but the police couldn't help but look a little sideways at the teenager.

Mr. and Mrs. Lutz quickly burst out of the house, shouting that their daughter had been abducted. Mrs. Lutz was near hysterics but thankfully Tara's dad was controlled enough to confirm that Kim was their daughter's friend and had been staying the night. Thank goodness for that. There wasn't much to be done at the house so parents and teenagers were whisked down to the nearest police precinct. Kim, as the one to encounter the attackers directly, was whisked off to a conference room.

"So Miss Possible, where did you learn to fight like that?" The detective interviewing her began.

"Uh…kind of my Mom," Kim replied. "Dr. Anne Possible; she's the medical examiner."

That must have sparked an emotional response because the female detective woged directly in front of her, a Madre Garda, a canine Wesen sort of like an Irish Wolfhound, almost always involved in law enforcement to some degree. "Oh…THAT Possible. I guess…no surprise then that you can fight like that. Now that you mention it, you smell just like her." Okay…Kim wasn't QUITE sure how to take that but could indulge the Wesen her little peculiarities. The detective reached over the table and offered a handshake. "Detective Mackenzie Brody. We've got the two you brought down in custody. Judging by your reaction to the attackers, they were Wesen?"

"Absolutely," What luck for Kim to be interviewed by someone she could actually be honest with! "I've never seen anything like them before. All of them had a kind of yellowy brown skin, almost like leather, ugly as SIN too! It looked like a few of them had pointed ears too."

Detective Brody furrowed her eyebrows, as if mulling something over. "Did you hear them talking at all? Did the others have an accent?"

Kim replayed the events in her head. No, she didn't pick up any conversation until she'd followed them out to the front yard. There wasn't any conversation until…yes…that guy in the passenger seat of the Lincoln. When he called for them to hurry up and grab her, now that she looked back on it, they did kind of have a New York or New Jersey accent, sort of like Italian, the kind of thing you heard on _Jersey Shore_. Now…was there any type of Wesen that originated in Italy? There were Acrobaleno, a butterfly Wesen, but that most DEFINITELY wasn't the case.

"Looking back on it, they sounded like something out of _Jersey Shore_. I…I can't think of any Wesen like that though."

The conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Detective Brody opened it and in rushed Dr. Anne Possible, straight for her daughter to embrace her in a motherly hug. It always baffled Kim that someone who was training her daughter to be a hardened killer of magical species could at the same time be so motherly that it got kind of annoying. Well…her mother was a woman of many faces, difficult to pin to a single category.

"Oh SWEETIE," Anne sighed, squeezing her daughter tight. "Monique called me as soon as she was able. Tara was KIDNAPPED?" She released her daughter and looked to the other inhabitant of the room. "Oh, Mack; thank goodness it was you who got the case! Do you have any leads?"

The two goons who got left behind were currently being grilled by two other detectives and they hoped to sweat a few details out of the two. Thus far, the best lead they had though was the information Kim had been able to provide. Based on her description of the kidnappers when woged, and the fact that the Lutzes were Eisbebers, Mackenzie was leaning towards the guilty culprits being Hässlichen, a troll-type Wesen that was supposed to be the origin of the Three Billy Goats Gruff story.

"Are you thinking an extortion racket?" Anne inquired, taking a seat next to her daughter.

"But…what makes you sure it's a…Hässlich?" Kim asked.

"Hässlichen and Eisbebers go way back," Anne explained, putting her hand on her daughter's arm. "As you know, Eisbebers all work in construction or repair work of some kind. Hässlichen seem to have this bizarre fixation with bridges and when an Eisbeber owned construction company starts work on one, a Hässlich is almost always there extorting money, usually through building inspections and such. Eisbebers…they're making good strides at standing up for themselves but they still have a long way to go."

"What does the Lutz family do for a living?" Detective Brody inquired.

"Well they run a fairly successful hardware store in West Middleton. Andrew also does repair work on the side," Anne continued. "Not the kind of Eisbebers that would have contact with Hässlichen."

Detective Brody's face took on that furrowed look, indicating that she was running clues through her head. "Based on your daughter's description, I really don't think it could be anything else. I guess that's all I really need from Kim. I take it…you two will be looking into this yourself? I'll be sure to let you know anything I find out."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"They just waltzed into the house and grabbed her?"

Amy Pritchard couldn't believe what she was hearing. A group of Hässlichen walked right into the Lutz's house and grabbed Tara? That…that was unthinkable, even for Hässlichen! Though she hadn't said as much, Amy could tell that her adopted daughter Monique had been bubbling over at the prospect of spending the night with Tara and Kim. It looked like after all of her daughter's tough breaks and Hellish childhood, she was finally showing signs of recovering. But this? And if they had tried to grab Monique and Kim too? Amy had half a mind to get her own Doppelarmbrust and hunt these SOBs down herself. She could see the familiar look in Anne's eye; she'd be taking this mission. And whatever Anne needed on this one, Amy would provide.

"Had Kim not also had her kukris…I just don't want to think about what would've happened," Anne sighed, taking a sip of her tea. "Has your network picked up any rumblings about and Hässlichen mischief?"

"Not that I can think of…at least nothing obvious," Amy would have to do a little more digging, see if she could uncover any big real estate battles going on right now. If the Hässlichen were trying to come down on a local company, Tara could just be a blind luck; a possibility but an unlikely one. This had "personal" written all over it. "My gut is telling me that this is personal."

As if on cue, Anne's cell phone rang. The caller ID read "Middleton PD"; Mack must have new information. "Hey Mack; something new?"

"Have you ever heard of an Arthur Johannson?"

"Yeah…Eisbeber who runs a big construction in…Erie, isn't it?"

Mack confirmed. As it turns out, Arthur Johannson is also Tara's great uncle on her mother's side. Shortly after Anne and the girls left the police station, Johannson had informed the Erie Police Department that he'd received a ransom note from an anonymous source, saying that unless they were "given what they were owed" in two weeks' time, they'd take the debt out of Tara's body parts.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim's breath caught in her throat. She was perched just around the corner from the kitchen, listening in. They…they…OH GOD! She had to help her friend! Those monsters were going to murder Tara and…Kim felt like she was going to be sick. She had to get Ron. She had to get back home and load up on arrows, her kanabo and kukris! Mom…Mom said the ransom note was in Erie. Kim…Kim would hotwire a car if she had to but she was going to get out there and…

"Kimberly Anne Possible, stop eaves dropping and come in here please."

How…Kim had been quiet as…ARRRRGGHHHH! Kim climbed to her feet and slouched into the kitchen. By the look her mom's eyes, she likely knew exactly how the wheels in her daughter's head were turning. The slanted eyebrows, that penetrating blue stare; how did she do that? How did her mother ALWAYS seem to know what was going on in Kim's mind? And how did she always seem to know when Kim was getting ready to go out on her own?

"Mom, I know what you're going to say but…" Kim struggled.

"'But' nothing young lady," Anne motioned for her daughter to take the vacant seat at the table. "I know exactly what you are thinking, and you going off half-cocked and emotionally distraught isn't going to bring Tara back." Kim plopped onto the chair and huffed in frustration. "Now listen to me. You and I are going to find Tara before anything happens. I give you my word that we will save her. But until we know more about the situation, storming in with arrows flying, we're going to do more harm than good."

"Your Mom's right Kimmie" Amy reached over and patted her niece on the shoulder. "Look, I've got contacts all over the state. Whoever took Tara, I promise you that we'll know in a matter of hours."

She…Mom…if anything happened to Tara, Kim would never forgive herself. BLAST IT, they were right. As much as she wanted to shoot her way into Erie and shoot her way back out with Tara in tow, going in without a plan would be suicide. Like Mom was so fond of always reminding her, "there's a thin line between courage and stupidity". She…she was going to go crazy though if she didn't do something though. AARRRGHHH! This was just so frustrating. Her mind flashed back to the punching bag that she and Mom hung from the basement ceiling to train with. She needed to hit something! That was the ticket! She needed to focus her energy as much as she could; and when the target presented itself, unleash her frustration like a bullet from a gun.

"Amy, Gabriella Gordon's in the Erie PD, isn't she?" Anne ventured, scratching her chin. Her friend nodded. "That's probably a good place to start. Kim and I will drive up there tomorrow morning and see what we can find out."

"I'm coming too?"

"Kimmie-cub, I trust you with all my heart but I want you close on this one," Mother informed daughter as they both got up from the table. Somewhere out there, Kim's grandmother was laughing like a hyena. While Anne's mother wouldn't have approved of her daughter rushing off to save a Wesen, Anne could remember numerous lectures and sermons about the dangers of Anne's impulsiveness and eagerness to jump without looking. It just wasn't an experience anyone truly appreciated until they had to go through it with their own child. Sometimes it seemed like Anne had just blinked and had gone from cavalier and carefree hunter to the authority figure trying to restrain said cavalier and carefree hunter. Kind of a silver lining to Anne and her mother not being on speaking terms; if she ever got wind of moments like this, Anne's face would be a never ending shade of scarlet.

Mother and daughter marched out of the shop and to the minivan, piling inside. Anne chanced a look at her daughter as the minivan pulled out into the street, frustration plastered across her face and looking like steam would begin spouting from her ears. If her daughter was anything like her, she'd need to get Kim to a punching bag and FAST! Say what you would, but the seasoned Grimm often found hitting something very therapeutic, almost as if the frustration and anger was being absorbed by the object. The minivan traveled the familiar route between the store and home and her daughter must've been thinking exactly along those lines. As the two entered the house, Anne saw her daughter make a beeline for the basement. Anne only hoped that her daughter didn't take things too far.

"How is she?" Jim Possible Sr. emerged from the kitchen, offering his wife of 19 years a cup of coffee.

"Oh, angry, frustrated, borderline reckless," Anne sighed, taking a sip of the coffee. "You know; like mother like daughter."

"Well, one of her best friends in the world, one of the precious few people her age she feels comfortable sharing her secrets with, was kidnapped," Jim put an arm around his wife and ushered her back to the kitchen. "If it was me, I'd probably be feeling exactly the same thing she is. Probably also attempt a little vigilantism myself."

"Well at least it's not ONLY my genes making her difficult," Anne plopped onto one of the stools. The smell of pancakes from breakfast still hung in the air, reminding Anne how hungry she was. She'd gotten the call from the Police shortly after making breakfast and had to rush out before actually eating anything. She nuked herself a plate of flapjacks and two sausage patties and sat down to sate her massive hunger.

"So are there any leads?"

Anne swallowed a syrupy mouthful. "It's got something to do with Tara's great uncle up in Erie. He ticked off the wrong people and they're trying to get at him through poor Tara. Amy and I have a contact we've worked with before in the Erie PD so Kim and I are going up there tomorrow morning to see what we can sniff out."

"Would it help if I went down and talked to Kimmie?" Jim offered, downing the remainder of his coffee.

"I'd hold off darling," Anne sighed, taking another sip. "She's kind of in the same place I was during my pregnancy with her."

The rocket scientist flinched and nodded, still not remembering what exactly it was that had set Anne off but remembering very clearly being thrown across the room, thankfully landing on the couch. Thank God, Kim likely wouldn't be able to accomplish the same feat but with all of the dangerous objects in Anne's little work room and Kim's growing skill at throwing them? Best to let her daughter vent. He'd have to make a concentrated effort to keep the boys out of her way today.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Sgt. Gabriella Gordon heaved a sigh of relief as her partner hauled the perpetrator off to a holding cell. She had finally done it; Mrs. Hinton had finally pressed charges on the abusive SOB that called himself her husband. Many were the times that Gabriella and Charlie had to respond to a domestic abuse complaint at their house. All you had to do was LOOK at the guy and you could tell he was guilty. It took every ounce of Gabriella's willpower not to draw her Smith & Wesson 5906 sidearm and turn his brains into wall paint. But it was over now. Mrs. Hinton would leave the bastard and he would rot in jail.

"Hey Sergeant," One of the patrollers interrupted her euphoric peace. "I've got an Anne and Kim Possible here looking for you."

Anne and Kim? Huh…that was sure out of the blue. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of the mother and daughter duo since they bundled Duff Killigan on an improvised African safari. They'd all but saved her baby sister's life and Gabriella would never be able to thank them enough for that. But what could they want in Erie? The patroller led the pair of redheads to her desk and Gabriella leapt up, embracing the pair like family.

"I didn't expect to see you two again," Gabriella smiled as she took her seat again. "What brings you to Erie?"

"Well…it's an 'animal' situation," Anne replied, taking a seat in front of Gabriella's desk. "I assume you heard about the ransom note the head of Johnson Construction got about Tara Lutz?"

"Yeah, everybody knows about that. Why?"

"I…Amy and I are pretty certain that this is a Hässlichen situation," Anne continued. "Tara Lutz is an Eisbeber and a very close friend of Kim's. They grabbed her from a sleepover the girls were having and had it not been for Kim, they probably would've disappeared without a trace."

So THAT was what was going on! It was Hässlichen! If the poor girl was Eisbeber, then it was almost assured that was the case. Now…who could it be? If she remembered her records correctly, there was a group of about ten or so Hässlichen operating in Erie that the Resistance knew about. Supposedly they were a branch of one of the Philadelphia families looking for more fertile grounds to operate in. Slowly but surely, they had wormed their way into the City of Erie's building office. Six of them worked in the office and the other four operated as enforcers when local Eisbeber needed roughing up.

A few of the local businesses were owned by the "family". One that immediately came to mind was The Fuzzy Tail, a local strip joint exclusively for Wesen. She'd been on teams that tried to make arrests there before and you could almost SMELL the Hässlichen presence there. But try as they might, the Erie PD and DA's office just couldn't make anything stick to them.

If Anne and Kim could manage to bring these guys down in the process of rescuing the girl, that would be a major step towards improving Erie. "Okay, here's the key to my apartment. I get off duty in about two hours. Meet me there."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Giuseppe smiled as he watched the blonde Eisbeber bitch squirm against her bonds. Ooooooh, the plans they had for her! Either that spineless oaf Johnson paid up and the Eisbebers were put back in line…or The Fuzzy Tail had a fresh new attraction, as did the streets of Erie. Just the thought of getting to break that little fuzz ball in made his pulse quicken. Dress her in a little schoolgirl's uniform, put her on stage and…CHACHING!

"Boss, I…I know nobody's talking about it," Nikko brought the man out of his internal fantasy. "But two guys DID get left behind."

Giuseppe motioned for the man to follow him out onto the main floor. He heaved a contented sigh as he surveyed all of the girls serving drinks and dancing on tables. He immediately was drawn to the new girl, the tall brunette Dämonfeuer with the green body paint. SHE had been a good investment. She'd marched right in and demanded a job, full of confidence and not taking any crap. Under normal circumstances, Giuseppe would've roughed her up a little to bring her down a peg…but something about that level of confidence seemed attractive.

"Nikko, Pauley and Johnny will keep their traps shut just like always," Giuseppe laughed as he plopped down onto the cushioned chair of his private table. "In a few days, local cops will receive an order to let them go and…"

"That…that's not what I'm talking about Boss. That redheaded kid…she's a GRIMM! I mean, those two can hold their own against any cop but…a fucking Grimm?"

"She's a TEENAGER," Santa Maria; Nikko was never this paranoid. The kid had put up a good fight but they had gotten out with what they wanted. Was Nikko seriously suggesting that a teenage girl could break Pauley and Johnny when they'd succeeded in standing up to the FBI, DEA, Hell, the whole alphabet soup of government agencies? "Nikko, you gotta RELAX man. Here," Giuseppe whistled and motioned for one of the Fuchsbau girls to scoot over and get to entertaining. She smiled, running her slender hand along Nikko's arm, and climbed onto the table and began gyrating. She went full woge and glossy red fur sprouted across every inch of her body, tickling Giuseppe's cheek as she brushed her ankle against him. "Mark my words. In two weeks, Arthur Johnson will be a broken man. And in THREE weeks, we'll have a beautiful new blonde attraction on that stage."

KPKPKPKPKPKP

This…this was one for the record books. Throughout her time as a Grimm, Anne Possible had wormed her way into a lot of different places using a lot of different disguises. She'd posed as nun once to gain entrance to a convent and eliminate a particularly disturbed Ziegavolk; thank God for her immunity to their pheromones. She'd even made herself up to look like a guy so she could infiltrate a club for male Geier. But…posing as a Lesbian Wesen so she could gain access to a strip club? That…that would be one of the more unusual ones; Jim and Amy would likely get a big chuckle out of this. Anne wasn't about to bring Kimmie to a place like this; she felt uncomfortable even with Gabriella at her side. Thank goodness Kim was waiting at the car in case things went sour. Never mind the fact that there wasn't a logical way to explain a 17 year old teenage girl gaining entrance to a place like this…AAHHHH! Anne didn't even want to think about Kim in this kind of establishment.

"Remember, we're just two Balam out looking for a good time," Gabriella mentioned, pulling her car to a stop in the parking lot. "I'll woge at the door and the bouncer should assume we're both Wesen. We'll go in, case the joint out, and go from there."

Thank God the Dickfellig at the door proved none too bright. A wave of blue fur cascaded over Gabriella and the bouncer waived the pair forward. Upon entering, the pair was bombarded with pounding music and the smell of alcohol. Wesen women of seemingly every variety were standing on tables, gyrating for the seedy customers that came pouring in. Was that a…a Gelumcaedus…dressed as a French maid? Ugh; to each their own but…UGH!

The pair took a seat beneath a Fuchsbau dancer. She was directly adjacent to a roped off section that was presumably for the club owner…who was indeed a Hässlich, one Gabriella recognized as Giuseppe Alessio, the boss of the Hässlichen presence in Erie.

"What'll it be ladies?" A Klaustreich waitress stepped up with a notepad.

"Whiskey, neat," Anne said without even looking away. "My friend will have a Sam Adams."

Three men emerged from the back of the room and took seats in the owner's area. Gabriella identified the three as Giuseppe Alessio himself, the one on the right as Nikko Castoro, Alessio's cousin and one of his lieutenants, and the third as Arthur Flocco, Alessio's head of security. As the three took a seat and settled in for their entertainment, what was likely a Dämonfeuer of some kind based on the flame theme she had going on, Anne settled in. She had long ago honed her hearing to the point that she could block out her surroundings and zero in on a particular conversation, all the while looking like she was enjoying a drink and a table dance with her companion.

"…wait till we get the new girl up there," Flocco purred as he surveyed the dancers around the room.

"I'm sorry Boss…but I still got a bad feeling about this," Nikko sighed, taking a swig of whatever drink he had before him.

"Oh Madre Maria!" Giuseppe cried, downing a shot. "Nikko, do me a favor and just THINK about that sweet supple fur, the flowing blonde hair." Giuseppe gave a mock shiver. "Trust me; we are completely untouchable!"

Had Anne not had better control of her emotions, the glass clasped in her hand would've shattered and she'd have leapt over the booth and lopped off their heads right there. This was it! Tara was somewhere in the building!

"She's in the building," Anne whispered, leaning in close. "I heard them talking about Tara."

The song ended and the dancers began retreating to the back room. As the Hässlichen's dancer turned to go, Anne caught sight of her face. Now, over the years Anne Possible had developed a fair amount of skill at being able to read people in a very short time. That look, almost a mixture of contempt and smugness, like she had a secret from those men that they had absolutely no clue about. Something more was going on here and that Dämonfeuer was the center of it.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

So THAT was it! Everyone who worked at the club knew better than to push it but the locked door had been a source of curiosity for the dancers for days. They had a kid locked up in there, holding her hostage for something! This…this WOULDN'T stand! This was bringing up too many memories for her to just ignore it. She would have to act now!

Shellie Gorton had suffered more at seventeen than anyone should have to suffer in a lifetime. Those bastards…that horrible night…Daddy…Yasmin…Andrea! Shellie's mother had passed away when she was very young, driving her father into a horrible depression. But…Yasmin helped him get out. With so few of them left, Daddy was so lucky to meet another Zündholz. Shellie loved Yasmin like a second mother and had been fiercely protective of her baby half-sister Andrea. For the first time in what had felt like decades, the Gortons had become a real family again. DAMN the Hässlichen! That day walking back from Aikido practice…all those ambulances surrounding their house…Daddy's last words; the gunman had been charred to a crisp, leaving no possible clues for the police to follow, and no one to tie the murder to.

So help her, the only good Hässlichen was a dead Hässlichen! So Shellie went underground, off the grid, taking the name "Shego" in her crusade for justice. She traveled wherever there were rumored to be Hässlichen and ensured that none of them could EVER hurt the innocent again, all the while searching for the ones who ordered the attack on her family. Now she had the chance to add insult to injury to these miserable SOBs. This girl, whoever she was, was obviously important to the head honcho around here. So if she could free her, get the girl out of the building and into the open, then the Hässlichen would be forced to pursue her and she could fight on ground of her own choosing.

But all of this was contingent on Shego actually getting her hands on the poor kid. Her shift was now over so she at least had an excuse to remain backstage. Her first stop was of course to her dressing room. She wouldn't be able to rescue anybody wearing black lingerie. She was going to need freedom of movement; a lucky break that she'd snagged a flame retardant set, tight black jeans and a dark green top. Donned in more appropriate clothing, Shego began puzzling out how she would first get the guard at the door out of the picture. These guys, especially the muscle, were the worst Italian Mafia clichés imaginable. So…this should actually be relatively easy.

"Excuse me," Shego leaned her head out the door, putting on her best mock flirty smile. "One of the light bulbs went out in my mirror and I can't reach it." She jutted out her lower lip in a pout. "Could you…help me?" Shego motioned him forward, licking the tip of her finger.

Could that smile be any more predictable? You'd think that if these guys were really interested in security, they'd invest in some brains instead of blind loyalty. Sasquatch lumbered on over with a painfully dimwitted smile plastered on and stepped into Shego's dressing room, ringing his hands in anticipation. She was going to enjoy this! The big lug began making a move towards her…and Shego hammered forward with a fist to the neck, shattering his throat and immediately heading off any cries for help. She delivered a swift kick to the head, shattering his jaw by the sound of it, and throwing him against the wall.

No telling if anyone had heard that. Shego wheeled a rack of outfits in front of the body. The illusion wouldn't hold for long but it should at least buy her enough time to get away. Now...there was a camera on the ceiling, pointed directly at the door. If this kid was as important as Shego thought, they'd have someone watching. So she couldn't approach the door to try to communicate with the girl. Unfortunately that also meant that the moment Shego took out the camera, she'd have to move lighting quick to her car. Okay…one…two…THREE! Shego ignited a fireball in her palm and shattered the surveillance. Keeping her hand burning hot, Shego burned a hole around the lock, cutting through the wood like butter. The door easily swung open…and there she was! Ooooh…the poor kid looked to be in pretty bad shape. Her blond hair was disheveled and tattered; she looked like she hadn't bathed in days. No time to worry about that now though. She looked to be drifting in and out of consciousness, maybe drugged. Shego hefted her up and put the girl's weight on Shego's left shoulder. She hobbled out, trying to move as fast as she could, vaporizing any cameras she came into contact with. The door to the employee parking lot kicked out and Shego rushed to her 1970 Chevy Impala. She could already hear a commotion rising inside the building. Well…screw the subtle stuff. She draped the girl in the back seat and ignited both hands, lobbing two fireballs into the doorway out to the parking lot. That would at least slow them down. Shego climbed into the driver's seat and fired up the engine. Throwing it into drive, she burst through the chain link fence. Now…now she needed a place to prepare.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Kim utterly hated waiting! "Stay with the car," her mom had said. "We need somebody ready with an escape if things go south." Kim had begrudgingly seen the logic in her mother's instructions and frankly Kim had read enough of her ancestors' journals to be more than a little hesitant to enter a strip club with scantily clad Wesen but…she'd been sitting here twiddling her thumbs for the better part of two FREAKING hours! She was about ready to go bouncing off the walls of the car. Directly on the next street, she knew her mother and Sgt. Gordon were making their insertion. YES, there was no assurances that Tara was even there, let alone that they'd be able to rescue her tonight if she WAS there…but give this girl SOMETHING practical to do.

A revving engine and screeching tires dragged Kim out of her internal argument. By the light of the street lamps, Kim could see an old muscle car fishtail around the corner and head straight for her. Kim whipped up her mother's pair of night vision binoculars just in time to see the rear left tire burst, sending the car to a screeching halt twenty feet from her on the opposite side of the street.

"Kimmie, the Hässlichen had Tara stashed in the club," Mom's voice crackled over the radio Kim had stashed in the cup holder. "Something went down here. One of the dancers freed her and took off with her."

"What…what kind of car was she driving?" Could they really be that lucky?

"I didn't get a good look. But a truck load of Hässlichen was about half a block behind them last I saw; likely more on the way."

Kim focused in on the car, looking for any sign that they may have finally gotten a lucky break. The woman, maybe seven or so years older than Kim and Tara, flowing black hair cascading down her back, climbed out of the car, spewing a stream of curses at their bad fortune; she darted to the back seat and hefted out…THAT WAS TARA! She looked pretty banged up but Kim would recognize her numero uno girlfriend anywhere!

"MOM, I'VE GOT THEM," Kim screeched into the radio, reaching to the back to snag her kanabo and its harness.

"Kim, we are enroot," Her mother barked. "ETA three minutes!"

Kim faced the windshield again just in time to see a pair of headlights approaching VERY fast. Looking for Tara and her mystery rescuer, Kim spotted the woman helping Tara into what looked like an empty store of some kind. Satisfied that Tara was sufficiently hidden, the mystery woman returned to the street, bracing herself for a fight. The approaching truck skidded to a halt and eight Hässlichen piled out, armed with various weapons but thankfully no guns. Kim needed to get out there! She climbed out and ran to catch up to the mystery woman, drawing her kanabo.

The mystery woman quickly clued in to the fact that the Hässlichen were surprised by something approaching behind her. Through her peripheral vision, she spied Kim and turned her focus back to the threat in front of them. "I don't know who you are but if you're any good with that thing but feel free to join the party."

"Love to," Kim steeled her gaze and stepped into a fighting position.

As if that was the signal to begin, the Hässlichen in front of them woged and charged. Kim's training kept her firmly in place. Make the adversary come to you. Two Hässlichen with nightsticks charged at Kim. She ducked the first's blow and hammered the kanabo against his back. Reversing the motion, she brought the butt of her weapon up into the second's chest. The first went flying into a parked car and the second, to his credit, took the blow and immediately came back at Kim. He swung the nightstick downwards and Kim brought her kanabo level to block the blow. Metal thumped against wood and Kim lashed out with a sweep, knocking the attacker's legs out from under him. His head collided with the pavement and rang his bells for a few moments. Kim unfortunately wasn't able to ready herself for the third attacker and her kanabo was sent skidding along the pavement. She darted her head around and spotted the follow-up blow in time to roll out of the way and rise with kukris drawn and at the ready.

The Hässlich sized Kim up, now taking stock of the fact that regardless of this girl's age, she knew how to use these weapons. The two circled, waiting for the other to make the first move, when both were distracted by a snarl from behind the attackers. Without warning, a figure landed on top of the Hässlich and tore into his neck with its fangs. The purple furry face, now streaked with blood and chunks of flesh, of Sgt. Gordon looked back at her.

As strange as it would've looked to an outside observer, Kim smiled at the arrival of the cavalry. Her eyes quickly darted to a Hässlich about to charge Sgt. Gordon from behind. It was like instinct. Afterwards, Kim could barely remember the event. She whipped one of her kukris into a throwing position and let it fly, the blade making a sickening thunk into flesh and bone.

Kim turned to see her mother and this mystery Wesen fighting back to back with the remaining two Hässlichen. Kim hadn't noticed it before but she could now see the Wesen's hands were wreathed in a green flame. Kim now realized that the stench of burned flesh now permeated the area and saw the burn marks on the Wesen's first to adversaries.

"Go help your friend," Sgt. Gordon growled, motioning back towards the car.

In all the activity, Kim had completely forgotten. Tara was still stashed in that building up the street.

"TARA?" Kim shouted as she burst inside, running through all of the empty isles. "TARA…IT'S KIM?"

Wait…moaning…coming from THERE! Kim leapt over the countertop and nearly landed on her friend that she had fought so hard to find!

"Tara…Tara, it's Kim," Oh God; it looked like they'd been drugging her with who knows what. "It's all gonna be okay now," Kim knelt down and hugged her friend, nestling her head against Kim's chest. "It's over."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The last remaining Hässlich fell to the ground, trying to scramble away from the death trap he'd been forced to enter. Shego began approaching, the fury of battle making her eyes burn through him. She ignited a fireball and hurled it at the grounded goon. Hotter…hotter she made the fire burn as it engulfed the Hässlich. ALL…HÄSSLICHEN…MUST…DIE! His cries of pain fell on only deaf ears! With one final burst, all fell silent as the fire finally did its work.

Who…who WAS this? Both Anne and Gabriella had no love for Hässlichen but this woman…she'd never witnessed anyone take such pleasure in executing them. Dear God…what had these people done to her?

"Who…who are you?"

The Wesen de-woged, turning to face Anne and Gabriella…and instantly reignited a hand in flame, bracing to throw it. Anne looked around and quickly realized she was standing directly in a beam from a streetlight…this woman had to have realized she was facing a Grimm.

"DON'T DO IT," Gabriella shouted, leveling her Smith & Wessen. "If she'd wanted you dead, she'd have let the Hässlichen finish you off. I will NOT hesitate to shoot you."

The Wesen looked from Anne to Gabriella, weighing the options she'd just been presented with. Anne breathed a sigh of relief as the fire winked out and the woman seemed to relax, albeit a small amount.

"Okay…I'll ask again. Who are you?"

"Shego; an orphan" the woman breathed, glancing back at the charred remains of her last opponent. "Made so by monsters just like this! This…this TRASH…you have no idea what they had planned for that kid."

"Her name is Tara Lutz from Middleton PA," Anne replied, not daring to take her eyes off of the woman standing before her. "She's my daughter's best friend and I've been searching for her for several days."

"I take it that little spark plug from earlier is your kid?"

As if on cue, Kim's voice crackled over Anne's radio. "Mom, I think they drugged her. She looks pretty banged up. I think we need to get her to a doctor."

Anne turned back to Shego only to see her back at what Anne assumed was her car, hefting a new tire out of the trunk. She was the Dämonfeuer dancing for the ringleaders back at the club. But as Anne studied her closer, the behavior didn't quite fit the traditional profile of a Dämonfeuer. And now that she looked back on it, the woge also wasn't as extreme. What was she? She'd mentioned that that she was an orphan because of a group of Hässlichen. She pursued them indiscriminately like a Balam because of what had happened to her.

The tire changed and the flat thrown in the trunk, Shego climbed into the front seat and started the engine. Before she could take off, Anne darted to the open window.

"Take care of that girl," Shego breathed, eyes focused on the road ahead of her. "Somewhere out there…the Hässlichen are hurting someone else. And I won't rest until it stops!"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"What's the prognosis?"

The police had quickly descended on the scene after Sgt. Gordon's call and Tara was whisked off to the nearest hospital. Kim and Anne were peppered with questions but enough of the police were Wesen for Sgt. Gordon to truthfully explain the situation and mother and daughter were given a ride to the hospital via the first available police cruiser. They'd already begun tests when Kim and Anne rushed in so the pair were presented with a bit of a wait. Thankfully a doctor came out after about an hour.

"Well Dr. Possible, your daughter's friend is going to be fine," He confirmed, smiling at Kim's joyous reaction. "A few bumps and bruises but nothing she won't recover from. We did a full check. Tox screen is clean, no signs of sexual assault. It looks like they kept her sedated through most of the ordeal so she likely won't remember much of it. She's awake so I can take you back to see her if you like."

"You go ahead Kimmie," Anne patted her daughter on the shoulder and drew her cell phone. "I'll call her parents and tell them the good news."

The doctor led Kim down the hall past the nurse's station and ushered her into a hospital room. Tara smiled from ear to ear and TRIED to climb out of the bed but quickly thought better of her muscles' objection. Kim ran towards the bed and engulfed her friend in a bear hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Kim breathed, a few tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

Tara squeezed her friend just as heard. "Are…are Daddy and Mom here?"

"They'll be here soon," Kim replied. "Tara...I…" How could she get the words out? WHAT words was she trying to get out? "I…you're my best friend. And I'll NEVER let anything happen to you!"

_Author's Notes:_

_Sorry this story took so long. I've been focusing more on the Triple Threat series recently and have had a slight case of writer's block with this one. But thankfully that's over with now. You can't do a Kim Possible without mentioning Shego. In a lot of the fan fics I've read, I think it works having Shego on the good side. I really tried to make her an anti-heroine, going on a vengeful crusade a la Dean and Sam Winchester from Supernatural. I like to think that it works._


	2. The Cat with Claws

It was so strange. The operation in Erie was over three months ago and yet in those three months, Kimmie was well into her junior year of high school, and here it was October and Anne couldn't stop thinking about that Wesen who'd come to their aid. That woman…Shego…what was she? What was her story? That fateful night…she'd taken it upon herself to help a child she didn't even know and then…she just disappeared into the darkness, like some dark and brooding comic book heroine. A Dämonfeuer who had the courage of a Taureus Armenta, the near fanatical protective nature of a Balam...and for someone she'd just met; but that equally fanatical hatred of Hässlichen? That…likely wasn't a standard characteristic. So many questions…but what WAS she?

Her mind kept drifting to the family journals back at the house. It felt like she'd gone through each and every one of them by now. But…ARRRRGGHHHH! She kept having this nagging feeling like she was missing something. It was like the answer was just on the tip of her tongue, just beyond her sight. She…she needed to get her mind off of this. She picked up the Reuben she'd been munching on for lunch and gave it more attention. To the rest of the world, a quiet day for a medical examiner would be good news; no bodies to work on and heck, Anne hadn't had to respond to any crime scenes for the better part of a week. Damn it; she had a SERIOUS case of cabin fever going.

Her personal cell began ringing from her handbag hanging on the wall. The screen read that it was Amy. At least it was a MINOR distraction. "Hey girlfriend; tell me something's happening out there in the world!"

"Good Grief Annie," Her friend cackled over the phone. "You and Kimmie rescued her best friend from a pack of Hässlichen, killing several of them with your bare hands…to any NORMAL person, they'd be glad of a three month vacation after an ordeal like that."

"I know," Anne groaned, rolling her eyes. "I just can't get that Wesen I told you about out of my head. I feel like I'm trapped in my own head," Anne groaned and laid her head on the table. "So what's up?"

"Well, you remember that Blutbad...I think his name was Monroe…who came with your cousin?"

That brought a smile to Anne's face. If you ignored the little…"scuffle" with one of the Royal families, that visit had been wonderful. It was fantastic to have another experienced Grimm to share things with and she absolutely adored Juliette. Kim on the other hand had got along famously with Monroe. As it turned out, he was a clock maker, specializing in antiques, and with Kim's passions and aspirations, when they weren't training they'd spent hours chatting about the antique clocks that had come through Buried Treasure Antiques. Kimmie had more of a penchant for antique furniture and books but Monroe had resolved to turn her onto the "hands of time".

"Yeah, Monroe and his fiancé Rosalee," Anne answered. "I can talk to Nick and get his number. What's up?"

"We got a rare grandfather clock in today, kind of bad shape but still salvageable. I can handle restoring the body but I want to bring him in on the inner workings."

Hmmmm; now that Anne thought about it, having company over might be a good distraction. They had the guest room back at the house and James likely wouldn't mind putting up with a Blutbad and a Fuchsbau for a few days. Monroe would be working but Anne didn't have any work on the weekends so she and Kim could spend the weekend entertaining Rosalee. Resolved, Anne promised to get a hold of Monroe and clicked off. Cycling through her contacts, she spotted Nick's cell number and hit the "dial" button.

"Detective Burkhardt," A familiar voice came through the speaker.

"Nick? It's Anne Possible."

"ANNE! Great to hear from you; what can I do for you?"

"Well you remember my good friend Amy? She's looking to recruit Monroe to help restore a clock she just got at the antique shop."

The two traded pleasantries for a few minutes and Anne hung up with Monroe's contact information.

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"On the banks of Raccoon Creek, there's a school that's known to all!"

The cheery voices echoed throughout the Middleton High School Gym, bouncing off the walls making it sound like the gym was full of people. The Middleton High School varsity Cheer Team leapt about in a choreographed routine to their school fight song. The gym floor was a whirlwind of activity and at the epicenter were the two rising stars of the group, 11th graders Kim Possible and Tara Lutz. Kim had been on the varsity squad for the latter half of their sophomore year but Tara was quick to catch up with her best friend. There was talk that next year, it would be a dead heat between the two of them for the Captain's spot. Whoever got it, it was a foregone conclusion that the assistant Captain's spot would go to who didn't get it.

"Its specialty is winning…and those Bulldogs play good ball. Bulldog teams are never beaten. They fight until the end. Fight for the only colors…Purple and Red."

Kim locked eyes with Tara from across the mat and gave her a nod. The pair took off running towards each other and leaped into a series of flips, narrowly sliding past each other.

"Smash right through that wall of Blue. Watch the points keep growing. Bulldog teams are bound to win! They're fighting with a vim…RAH…RAH…RAH…RAH! See their team is weakening; WE'RE going to win this game! FIGHT…FIGHT…FIGHT TEAM FIGHT! Victory for Middleton High! FIGHT ON!"

There was a collective intake of breath as the squad held their positions. The squad Captain Debbie Parker surveyed her squad like a general with their troops. All eyes were riveted on her face, waiting to hear their fearless leader's approval…and she could tell they were waiting with breathless anticipation. Debbie couldn't help but savoir the moment slightly. Her squad had performed flawlessly…but a girl still needed to have her fun.

"I've seen better…but not much," She chuckled, loving the look of relief plastered on her teammates faces. "Good work gals. That's it for today."

Kim and Tara shared a smile as they heard Monique applauding from the other side of the gym. Try as they might, Kim and Tara couldn't get their friend interested in cheerleading. So while they got their pep on, Monique poured herself into her studies. While her social skills were improving, rare was the time you didn't see Monique Sawyer with her nose buried in the works of Shakespeare, Dickens, or Wilkie Collins or see her scribbling in one of her class notebooks.

The squad traipsed into the locker room, disrobed, and piled into the showers. Kim sighed in relief as the hot water cascaded down her body, relaxing seriously stiff muscles. Debs had really put them through their paces in practice today. Sure, regionals were a month away but…still. Kim was going to be pretty stiff in a few hours. Content that the sweat had been washed away, Kim returned to her locker and began putting on her street cloths. Her head popped out of the black O Boyz tee she'd slid on when she noticed Josie Hoffman, the new transfer student on the team, still dressed in her uniform. Was she waiting for everyone else to finish?

_Now that I think about it…I don't think I've seen her shower with the group since she got here._

"So Josie," Might as well try engaging her in conversation. "Any plans for the afternoon?"

"Uh…no…my mom and my…stepdad kinda want me at home until I learn my way around," It seemed like she knew Kim was genuinely trying to be friendly but…something about her reactions…something about her behavior rubbed Kim the wrong way, almost as if she were hiding something. Kim grabbed a brush and turned towards the mirror she kept in her locker, trying to straighten her hair.

"Well don't worry. Middleton's really safe and it's easy to learn your way around."

Kim brushed a few locks away from her forehead…and had to keep her composure when she caught Josie's reflection in the mirror. Was she…was she…glowing? She almost looked like those aliens that they said landed at Roswell. Now…she's new here so she likely wouldn't know that Kim wasn't a threat. Kim waited until Josie de-woged then turned around.

"You know, if you ever want to talk or hang out," Kim offered, replacing the brush back in her locker. "I'm the only Possible in the phonebook."

Walking out of the locker room, Kim constantly turned back, thinking about Josie. Something was really up with her. Kim just couldn't shake the fact. She tossed her book bag onto the bleachers and plopped down next to Monique.

"Hey Mon, you know anything about the new girl Josie Hoffman?"

"Mmmm, not really," Monique thought for a moment. "We've got Trig together but I haven't heard her talk that much. Why?"

"I don't know. I kind of get a funny feeling about her."

Monique closed her book and focused on her friend. Kim's "funny feelings" were usually something that you could take to the bank. It had been Kim's gut instinct that had freed Monique from her horribly abusive foster family. Was she thinking that this new girl was trouble? Or was the new girl IN trouble? Suddenly Monique felt a little uneasy, keeping an eye on the door to the locker room. But…Kim was with her. And as long as Kim was around, Monique would be absolutely safe.

The pair waited for Tara and then piled into Kim's new car. After a brief stop to drop Tara off, Kim's Kia Spectra sped off towards the antique shop. Pulling into the nearest parking space, both girls piled out and trekked up the back door. Monique darted up the stairs to unload her backpack, leaving Kim to enter the storage/restoration room.

"Aunt Amy? You in here?"

"Up front sweetie."

Kim slid open the door to the shop proper and was instantly greeted by several familiar faces. MONROE? WHEN DID MONROE GET HERE? Kim took a running leap and embraced her old friend in a bear hug. This was going to be totally SPANKIN. Their first experience was a little…overly exciting…but Kim had had a complete blast with Monroe before. He knew so much about antiques, especially clocks, and he was totally hilarious. If Monroe was here, then that also meant that…

"Hands off sister; he's mine," Rosalee Calvert, soon to be Rosalee Gafner, pulled Kim off and hugged her herself. "I hear you aced your road test?"

"So not the drama," Kim laughed, hugging Rosalee tight. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, Monroe's going to help your Aunt Amy with restoring that big grandfather clock you guys got in a few days ago," Mom stepped up. "While you and I, young lady, are going to have a girls' day out at the spa with Rosalee and Monique so we stay out of their hair. How does that sound?"

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

The appearance of Monroe and Rosalee and the revelation that they were in fact staying at the Possible house had been awesome but upon getting home, Kim's mind immediately shifted back to Josie Hoffman. Upon stepping through the front door, Kim immediately headed for Mom's…and now kind of her…work room in the basement. Choosing a journal at random, Kim hefted the volume down and began perusing the various entries. The majority of the entries weren't in English so Kim also had her laptop set up as a translator. Once she got the chance, she really wanted to learn German.

Now…where was Josie? Kim began thumbing through the pages, taking in everything that she could understand. She'd come across an entry on Mannschaft Falke, like Ron. She'd cringed when she'd stumbled upon the chapter on Lebensauger, some kind of leech type Wesen. They didn't seem to be anything special when it came to fighting skills but…Kim felt a twinge of sympathy at their extreme self-hatred. It had been difficult enough for Kim to come to terms with the fact that she had inherited a whole other life, throwing her life in a massively different direction. Imagine having to spend your entire life like that.

Kim had just finished up an entry on Musai when Rosalee shook her out of the trance she'd been in. "You were dug in like a tick there Kim. You've been down here for hours and missed dinner."

Had she been down here that long? Kim checked the clock on her laptop…wow…7:30 in the evening? She HAD been focused on this volume. With her focus no longer on the book she was reading, Kim's stomach reminded her just how hungry she was. Taking the plate of Mom's homemade mac and cheese, she dug in with gusto.

Having walked in on Nick with his nose in an old journal on many occasions and was curious what exactly she was on. "HA…Musai? Nick had an interesting experience with one of those last year. She had Nick eating out of the palm of her hand and it took a kiss from Juliette to bring him out; kind of a 'Prince Charming' in reverse."

Kim chuckled around a mouthful of pasta. "Pretty interesting but not what I'm looking for. There's a new girl on the cheer squad who woged in the locker room. Something seemed a little…I don't know…off about her."

"Hmmm…why don't you describe her to me? Maybe I can help."

"Okay," Kim smiled, putting down the plate. "Well, when she woged, she had a bulging head. You know the aliens that they say landed in New Mexico? Kind of shaped like that. The nose…kind of similar to a human nose I suppose. But the most amazing thing was her skin. It…well, to be perfectly honest, her skin glowed the most brilliant blue I've ever seen."

The room became deathly silent. Kim looked up from her plate at Rosalee…wow! Rosalee looked like somebody had just backhanded her across the face. What had…without warning, Rosalee burst out the doorway calling for Kim's Mom. Ooookay, this was…more than a little unexpected. Was…was there something dangerous about Josie? That…that was incredibly hard to believe but…this just couldn't be.

Rosalee came back down in a rush with Mom following a short way behind her. Rosalee was a mixture of nerves and….well, excitement in all honesty. Mom just seemed to be along for the ride.

"Kim, this is very important. I want you to tell your Mom exactly what you told me."

"Uhhhhh…okay; there's a new girl on the cheer squad and she's a Wesen with glowing blue skin and…"

Mom got that same look on her face that Rosalee had when Kim started this whole thing. Moving to the bookcase, Mom yanked out a book, thumbing through the pages until she found what she was looking for. Dropping the book on top of the volume Kim had been looking through, Mom pointed directly at the page.

"Kimmie, this is very important. Is this what you saw?"

Kim looked through the page. _Glühenvolk are a Wesen species with ties to ancient Africa. Thought to have magical properties, they have been hunted for their luminescent skin and hunted to near extinction. Comparable to the leprechaun or mermaid myth, Wesen consider it to be extremely good luck to see one_. Looking at the drawing, that…that was most definitely what Kim saw. Josie Hoffman was a member of an extremely rare race that had almost been hunted to extinction, like animals.

"This…this is what I saw," Kim gasped. "I'm sure of it."

"Twice…twice in my…lifetime," Rosalee gasped. "Last year, Nick, Monroe, and I helped a married Glühenvolk couple give birth to their child and take out a bounty hunter who'd been tracking them…but AGAIN?" Rosalee looked like she was fulfilling a lifelong dream. "You…you said that you thought something was strange about her?"

"Uhhhh, yeah," Kim answered, feeling like she was just along for the ride. "I…I asked her if she had any plans and she said that her parents wanted her to come straight home. It was kind of funny though, the way she paused when she mentioned her stepdad though."

Mom and Rosalee faced each other, almost as if they were having an entire conversation with their eyes. If these Wesen were really as sought after as the book said…THAT might be why Josie was so hesitant to be around others, especially with how large a Wesen population Middleton had. And there were a couple of less than savory Wesen species in the area that Kim could definitely understand wanting to avoid. But…that seemed a little too simple an answer.

"Kim, do you know what kind of Wesen Josie's stepdad is?" Mom inquired, turning to her daughter.

"Uh…no, I don't think so. Does that matter?"

"Well…maybe," Rosalee added, taking a seat next to Kim. "Growing up in Middleton, a girl like you wouldn't know any different but in the rest of the world, mixed Wesen marriages can be kind of…well, controversial. It's massively old world thinking and most modern Wesen think it's completely ridiculous but…there are couples that really give couples like Monroe and I a bad name. And with Glühenvolk's awful history…I don't want to jump to any conclusions but it'd definitely be something to watch out for."

"Yeah sweetie, Middleton is kind of the Hippie San Francisco of the Wesen world," Mom stepped up and put her arm around her daughter. "See what you can find out about this girl and especially her stepdad tomorrow at school."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

See what Kim could find out? Mom sure had a way with words. Parked in the school parking lot an hour before school started, surrounded by the hazy morning mist, Kim couldn't help but feel like a Sam Spade wannabe from the movie _The Maltese Falcon_. All she needed was Bogart's fedora and trench coat to complete the ensemble. Thankfully she knew that she wouldn't be seen as out of place by anyone. Part of her routine was to come into school early to use the weight room. Now, if she was smart, nobody not in the weight room would even notice that she was in her car. And now…now, she played the waiting game.

Proving to be a short game, Kim whipped up Mom's high powered Nikon camera and zeroed in on the approaching pick-up truck Kim had seen Josie climb into the previous day and began snapping. It was a jackpot thus far. Kim could only assume that the man driving was Josie's stepdad but…no sign of a woge yet. Mom and Rosalee could speculate but Kim's gut was screaming that the source of the problem lay with the stepdad. It really did come as a surprise that mixed Wesen couples were something of a controversy. Kim could name any number of perfectly stable and happy mixed Wesen couples and their kids were the epitome of average. Many of them Kim was very good friends with. But wasn't that always the story? It was always a few bad apples that ruined it for the bunch…and the poor souls that got caught in the middle.

"Come on you joker," Kim muttered, keeping the lens focused on the target. "Give me a sign…ANY sign."

Then, as if God himself had heard and answered her prayers, the briefest flash of a woge spread across the man's face. Shaggy tattered grey fur spread across his face and unless Kim was very much mistaken, three whiskers sprouted on each side. Not a Wesen she recognized but something about the person seemed to scream "feline". School would be starting soon; she'd ask around. Somebody would likely know something. With the truck pulling away from the school, Kim snagged her backpack and jogged into the school.

"Hey KP, you look like you got a lot on your mind." Ron commented as Kim approached and began opening her locker.

"Just a Wesen I've got a bad feeling about," She replied, heaving a sigh and emptying her backpack of books and stowing them on the top shelf. "Hey, by any chance would you know much about any cat-like Wesen?"

Ron took on a quizzical look as he ran through all of the other Wesen he knew of. "You mean like a Yaguaraté or a Mauvais Dentes?"

"No…nothing like that," Kim answered, grabbing her copy of _The Canterbury Tales_ for English class. "More like a housecat…only DEFINITELY not as cuddly. And he looked like he had a scar across his forehead."

It wasn't anything Ron could recognize but he'd definitely ask around. Kim thought about it and while she trusted Ron with her life and all her secrets…which if she was honest with herself…MAY be evolving into something "more"…given the Glühenvolk's tragic history, the fewer people who knew about the new girl in school, the better, at least until Mom and Rosalee could get a better idea of what to do and if Josie or her Mom was in danger. This…this wasn't like other missions that Kim had been a part of. These people…they had suffered more than any Wesen Kim could think of, in some cases worst of all at the hands of Grimms.

The school day passed by much like any other. Kim aced her rendition of the preamble of _The Canterbury Tales_, she wracked her brain trying to understand calculus, her and Tara's solos in the Concert Choir were really coming along. Sitting down to lunch, Kim was still pondering the Wesen she'd encountered.

"You said he had a scar across his face?" Tara inquired around a mouthful of her sandwich. "I just hope for Josie's sake it's not a Klaustreich."

"That…that sounds bad; dare I even ask?"

"Seriously BAD news," Tara sighed, turning back to her best friend. "My second cousin over in Wisconsin dated one. They always come off incredibly smooth and charming, real Cary Grant meets Gene Kelly stuff. But it ALWAYS ends badly for the poor girl who ends up with them. They're super possessive and jealous to the girl they're with, sometimes abusive. The…jerk who charmed my cousin wound up getting her pregnant her senior year and leaving her high and dry."

It would have to be something like that. But Kim had learned a lot from her friendship with Monique, some of it that Kim could've gone her whole life without knowing. Aunt Amy had enrolled her ward in therapy to help her get over what her adoptive had done to her and Kim had been there every day for all the support that she could muster. She could be safe in the knowledge that she was sure this man wasn't molesting Josie. The Middleton High School cheer uniforms didn't leave much room for bruises to be hidden…but that didn't mean that this guy wasn't abusing Josie's Mom. Mother or daughter; it didn't matter. Glühenvolk had suffered enough at the hands of Grimms and other Wesen alike and she would be DAMNED if she would let this continue.

"So Josie Hoffman's Mom may have married one?"

"I gotta wait until I check the books back home to know for sure," Kim sighed, wanting to just run home right now.

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Her daughter's report had given Anne a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She, Kim, and Rosalee had gone through the books twice for good measure and there was nothing else that matched. Kim's classmate and her mother were living with a Klaustreich. Anne had encountered more than a few in her life and any who got their claws on someone she cared about soon realized the error of their ways. She recalled a particularly enjoyable experience in which one had started roughing up one of her and Amy's friends on the soccer team…and Anne demonstrated to him the spectacular view you were treated to when hanging by your feet off the Middleton University bell tower. When it came to Wesen, Anne knew that you couldn't judge based on appearance alone. She'd known plenty Wesen with unsavory reputations that turned out to be utterly splendid friends and company…but when you threw a Glühenvolk into the mix…this had conspiracy written all over it. SOMETHING unsavory was going on here and she aimed to find out what was going on.

While Kim had been doing her Sam Spade routine, Anne had been getting her hacker on at work. While Anne had a number of friends and contacts in the Middleton PD who were more than happy to help her should she ask for it, you just couldn't beat the speed of doing a background check yourself. Linda Babineaux married Parker Babineaux seventeen years ago in Cheyenne WY, giving birth to Josie barely a year after they were married. Linda was a certified massage therapist, allowing her to work pretty much anywhere. Then Parker contracted what the doctors thought was cancer and died when Josie was ten. There was only sporadic mention of either of them, likely indicating a life on the run, unfortunately not unusual for Glühenvolk, until a year and a half ago when she married Randall Hoffman in Lincoln NB. Randy Hoffman…40 years of age, Bachelors in Construction Management from University of Nebraska, moved the family to Middleton last July…and he was a Klaustreich. Nothing jumped out at Anne and they likely wouldn't be able to learn anything more without talking to Linda…or seriously interrogating Randy Hoffman.

Thankfully Anne was able to make that happen. With a bippity boppity boo (not to mention a few well executed keystrokes), Anne had hacked the Golden Sunrise Spa's reservation system and she was sitting pretty with a reservation for three. And with that under her belt, Anne pulled the mini-van to a halt inside the Spa parking lot the following Saturday, ready for a weekend of pampering and discreet observation. If they were really lucky, either Anne or Kim would be able to spot Randall Hoffman and see exactly what he had planned.

"Welcome to the Golden Sunrise Spa," the receptionist cheerily greeted the group as they entered the waiting room. "How can I help you?"

"Hi," Anne smiled. "Reservation for four under 'Possible'?"

The receptionist checked and quickly motioned them inside towards the changing rooms. Anne's eyes scanned every employee they passed but none was Linda Hoffman. The group strolled into the changing room and began stashing their bags. Anne had elected to stow a small Walther and a dagger inside, should the worst happen. Her daughter…Kim WAS desperately in love with those kukris. Clad in a bathrobe, Anne immediately made up her mind to start with a deep tissue shiatsu massage. Ever since attending a bachelorette party for one of their friends on the soccer team, complete with a weekend at one of the best spas in the state.

"Thank you so much for this Mrs. Possible," Monique gushed, shucking off her clothes and pulling on a fluffy white bathrobe. Everyone thought it better to keep Monique in the dark about their little surveillance mission. Mon…she had her own demons that she was overcoming and seeing another victim of abuse might bring up some bad memories.

"Oh, you're welcome sweetie," Anne smiled, pulling on her own robe. Knotting the sash around her waist, Anne motioned Rosalee over to a more secluded section. "Smell anything yet?" Fuchsbau's sense of smell, while not quite as good as a Blutbad, was still quite impressive. Amy had been renowned in college for being able to tell exactly when someone had hooked up the previous night when they walked in the door the next morning.

"He's definitely been here a lot,"Rosalee replied, her nose twitching as she sniffed. "Probably the kind of guy who likes to 'checkup' on his wife more often than usual."

All they could do right now was keep their eyes open.

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Kim could just feel her cares falling away. Mom had really called it, starting out with a deep tissue shiatsu massage. After an hour on the massage table, Kim had felt like those magic hands and feet had turned her into a jellyfish. This…this was definitely something that Kim could get used to. Afterwards, she and Monique shared a mud bath and Monique elected to break off for a seaweed wrap. Not exactly appealing to Kim herself; it probably had to be a Luisant-Pêcheur thing, always being drawn to things of the sea. Left to her lonesome, Kim did a stint in the hot tub and headed straight for the sauna. And if she was comfortable before, she was now in a near comatose state of relaxation.

"This...is…the…life," Kim sighed.

Without warning, her state of relaxation was cut short by a slamming door. Her eyes shot open and…wow…it was her lucky day. Marching in with Linda Hoffman was Josie, and both looked more than a little frantic. Using reflexes that would've made her Crusader ancestors proud, Kim leapt behind the benches, taking refuge behind them.

"Sweetie…I know that it's hard but…Randy…he protects us." Mrs. Hoffman sighed. She sounded as if it was taking everything she had not to break down, almost like she was trying to convince herself of what she was trying to tell her daughter.

"Mom…he's BAD," Josie cried, grabbing her mother by the shoulders. "I see the way he looks at you. And why does he answer his 'business' calls in a sound-proof room that HE built into the apartment?"

Sound proof room? Yeah…that sure didn't have seedy and conspiratorial written all over it. There was no more doubt in Kim's mind that something seriously bad was in the works.

"Please Josie," Linda heaved a sigh. "Please go back home with your stepdad."

Josie eventually caved, agreeing to go back with her Dad. Kim had to act quickly. Darting through a side door out of the sauna, Kim made a mad dash for the changing rooms. If she was quick, she could change her clothes, grab her weapons, and stow away in whatever vehicle he'd driven. Kim burst through the door, nearly colliding with Rosalee. Knowing a Fuchsbau's sense of smell, she'd picked up Randall Hoffman.

"Not a lot of time," Kim breathed, heading straight for her locker and shedding her swimsuit and pulling on her underwear. "Mom can zero in on my location via my cell phone. Hoffman's been taking a lot of phone calls in a soundproof room. I'm going to stow away in his vehicle and see what I can do."

"Not by yourself, you're not," Rosalee barked, throwing her street clothes on.

"Rosalee…I don't…"

"No, YOU listen to me Kimberly Possible," Rosalee fixed a slender finger on the teenager. Kim…Kim was on track to being just like her mother and Nick. But if this teenager had the gall to question her in a situation like this…ESPECIALLY when it involved Glühenvolk…well Kim could whine all she wanted. "I've fought off a horde of Zombies. I've faced down Hundjäger…and I happen to have a Taurus .357 in my duffle bag Besides, you can be scrappy in your own right…but I'm straight up terrified of what your Mom will say if she finds out I let you go alone."

GRRRRRRR…was this how Mom felt when Kim wanted to go on a mission? Dammit, she didn't have time to argue. Grabbing her own duffle, Kim and Rosalee darted out before Randall Hoffman could get out of the building. The parking lot wasn't that crowded…and the right vehicle might just be the one with Hoffman Construction plastered on the side. Typical of most pick-up trucks used for construction, looking in the flatbed, Kim immediately spotted two compartments…big enough to easily conceal either of them.

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The bastard KNEW better than to call him right now! If either of the targets picked up the phone before he could get to it, the whole operation would go to Hell in a hand basket. TWO years of work would go straight down the drain. For two years, Randall Hoffman had spent his time romancing the Glühenvolk, trying to lull her into a sense of security. One of them would've brought enough of a prize but the fact that she had a daughter had simply been too good to pass up. And when the mother had actually agreed to marry him…talk about icing on the cake. He had both mother and daughter eating out of the palm of his hand. He had them psyched six ways to Sunday. Meanwhile, Charlie was working for a buyer…but even if he found one, he SHOULDN'T call right now.

"WHAT in the HELL are you doing calling me right now?"

"Randy, you've got a problem. There's someone in town whose been looking into your situation. She…she's been looking in a lot of the right places."

Someone's been looking into him? He thought he'd done an adequate job covering his tracks but if someone was snooping around? "Listen, do what you can to throw her off…"

"It's a GRIMM," Charlie shouted through the phone. "I traced the searches and they came from a computer at the County Morgue. All the rumors point to a Grimm working there, a real goody two-shoes crusader type."

Randall couldn't see it but he was fairly certain that the color had drained from his face. A…a Grimm! There REALLY was a Grimm in Middleton? Middleton was supposed to be the land of peace, love, and flowers in your hair…and the nightmare to end all nightmares had just fallen on his doorstep. Was she…did she want the Glühenvolk for herself? A do-gooder Grimm could either mean she helped certain Wesen…as supremely wrong as that sounded…or that she was singlehandedly cleaning up the town as she saw it. Either way…either way he was out of time.

"Okay…we've got to kill these Glühenvolk and tan their hides NOW," Randall sighed, looking around his sound-proof office. "Start getting the crew together. We're going to have to move fast if we're going to salvage anything out of this situation. If there's a Grimm on our tail, we don't want to stay here any longer than necessary."

Randall's first task was to get his truck ready. He checked the kid's room; she was sound asleep. At this point, he was prepared to just club the daughter over the head. Getting her would be easy. But he was going to need some kind of excuse to get the mother out of the spa and into the truck. Trotting down the hall to the parking structure attached to the apartment building, Randall was already beginning to form a potential scenario to get her out of the house when…what the hell was going on here? Randall rushed up to his truck and his worst fears were confirmed. Kneeling down, he put his fingers in a two inch gash into his left rear tire. By the looks of the tire on the opposite side, he'd find an identical hole. It was almost as if…Randall jumped to his feet and began looking around the parking structure. He felt the familiar grey fur spread over his face and the hackles on the back of his neck begin to tingle. A Grimm supposedly on his trail and now his tires slashed?

Abandoning the truck, he made a bee line back to the apartment. Ripping out his phone, he instantly hit redial. "Charlie, we've got a problem."

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Kim had to remember to send another thank you card to Rachel and Jerry Walicki. Apart from being the go to people for Grimm gear on the Eastern Seaboard, the twins had a wealth of military surplus available. And the surveillance darts that Rachel had given her a good deal on for her birthday had been the best investment Kim had ever made. The sound was coming in crystal clear. It hadn't been easy but once the truck had come to a stop in the parking complex, Kim had managed to tag him with one of the darts. The schmuck was now completely unaware that he was currently spilling his guts to two complete strangers.

"I knew something was hinky," Kim muttered.

Rosalee shushed her and the pair continued to listen.

"…got to kill these Glühenvolk and tan their hides NOW." Kim's eyes darted towards Rosalee, the color draining from the older woman's face. They…oh God! Josie was inside that apartment and that monster was going to… "If there's a Grimm on our tail, we don't want to stay here any longer than we need to."

Kim needed to buy some time. Based on the layout of the apartment and the description of the equipment Rosalee said they would need, Kim could be certain that if they were going to…attempt what they planned, it would have to be someone other than here. So Hoffman would have to take the women there himself. Without thinking, Kim whipped out one of her kukris and slashed the nearest tire on Hoffman's truck. He had a spare in the flatbed…but only one. After slashing the second, Kim's ears pricked up at the sound of approaching footsteps down the hall. She took a running leap and dove behind a nearby car just as Randall Hoffman emerged into the parking structure. Rosalee? Where was Rosalee? Kim's grip tightened around her kukri, ready to hurl it in the event that she heard Rosalee cry out.

Kim never knew a pause could sound so deafening. The seconds seemed to crawl by like years until she picked up the sound of rapid footsteps heading back into the house.

"Rosalee?" Kim whispered. "You okay?"

Kim poked her head around the edge of the car in time to see a smiling Rosalee, giving her a reassuring wink. "All fine over here."

Thank God; Kim had to fight from crying out in joy. But her mind was quick to return to the mission at hand. With his transportation cut off, Hoffman would likely be trying to secure Josie…or even…NO; Kim wasn't going to dwell on that. But she had to get Josie out of there and away from this building.

"Don't suppose you know how to hotwire a car?" Kim asked, running up to Rosalee, trying to puzzle a way out.

"I'm not just a pretty face," Rosalee chuckled, reaching into Kim's pack and fishing out a Slim Jim. "You go get your friend out."

Wow…Kim had been half joking. Sweet and kindly Rosalee could not only break into a car but…she could actually hotwire one too? Had Kim not had more pressing concerns, she'd have desperately pumped Rosalee for more information…but Rosalee was right. Kim's immediate concern was getting Josie out of there. Trotting down the hall to the Hoffman's apartment, Kim ran through the layout of the apartment complex in her head. The way she was feeling, she'd like to bash the door in, clock Hoffman over the head, and lead Josie right out of there. But if you knew that someone was on your tail, conventional wisdom dictated that you'd watch the easiest access into wherever you were hiding. That meant that Hoffman would be waiting for her right behind the door. But unlike most, Kim found it just as easy…and actually far more fun to get her wall crawler on and go in through the window. Each of the apartments had a balcony so stopping at the apartment just before the Hoffman's, Kim slid a fiber optic camera under the door. Lights off and the door locked; nobody home! Retracting the camera, Kim switched to the set of lock picks Ron had gotten her for Christmas. The more Kim thought about her oldest friend in the world, the more Kim just realized…Ronald Stoppable just simply GOT her. He understood her on so many levels and…alright Kimberly Anne; now was not the time to start contemplating a crush. With a faint click, the door swung open. Ignoring her surroundings, the athletic teenager made a quick dash to the balcony. Now came the tricky part. There was about a five foot gap between the balconies and for Kim's plan to work, she had to be silent. Bracing herself, Kim took a running leap and the ground disappeared from underneath her feet. Narrowly missing a patio chair, she landed smoothly and immediately turned towards the screen door.

_Please be unlocked. Please be unlocked._

The sliding door crept open and Kim ducked in, peeking in both directions. Clear in both directions…and there was Hoffman approaching what had to be Josie's room judging by the posters on the door. It was now or never! Her feet muffled by the carpet, Kim made a bee line across the living room. Almost as if it were in slow motion, Hoffman's hand reached for the door knob.

"Not today you Bastard," Kim cried, grabbing him by the shoulders and hurling him away from the door. Hoffman went soaring into a barrier, landing on the sofa on the other side. Kim flipped over the barrier, landing just on the other side of a very stunned looking Randall Hoffman. Patchy grey fur spread across Hoffman's face as he woged, his eyes growing as big as saucers when he realized exactly what he was looking at. Before he could react, Kim delivered a swift kick to the head.

"Gotta love the sleeper," Kim sighed as Hoffman crumpled to the ground.

"What…what's going on?"

Kim turned to see a drowsy Josie emerging from her room, taking in the scene before her. Oooooh…CRAP; she'd seen that look many times when she encountered Wesen on missions.

"Josie…you've got to believe me. I'm not going to hurt you," Kim slowly stood up. No sudden moves now.

"You…you…you're a…"

"Josie, please listen to me. I was at the Spa when you were talking to your Mom. You're absolutely right. Your stepdad…he was planning on killing you and your Mom." Thank God Kim had thought to record Hoffman's phone call! She triggered the playback and slowly but surely Josie's focus began to shift from the teenage Grimm to the unconscious form of her stepfather.

"I…I knew…he…I…I never thought that…he was going to kill…" Kim couldn't even imagine what this had to be like. Yes, Josie had been suspicious of her stepdad's intentions before but this? To have lived for the better part of a year with a man who had actually wanted to kill both you and your mother in the most sickening way possible? Josie looked like she was going to sick up right then and there. Kim knew the look creeping over the girl's face. Rushing to her side, Kim caught her just as her knees gave out.

"Everything's going to be okay Josie," Kim breathed, hefting her towards the door. "I just need to get you to my Mom. She'll know what to do."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

Her daughter was going to be the death of her! At the rate Kimberly was going, Anne would have to start popping a Xanex every time her daughter set foot outside. Anne had gotten the text from Rosalee just as she was getting out of a mud bath with Monique and at that moment, all the tension that had been massaged out of her instantly returned. Randall Hoffman had showed up out of the blue and Kim had instantly run off to stow away in the man's truck. Had Rosalee not been in the changing room at the time, Kim likely would've run off by herself. Thank God for small mercies. Anne didn't know the whole story but she knew that Rosalee was a bit of a wild one when she was Kim's age. She could more than fend for herself as far as Fuchsbau went. And ever since she had to face down a Luger toting member of the Verrat, Rosalee had wanted Nick to help her, like Juliette, learn to shoot.

She'd gotten the phone message when she'd gotten to the changing rooms herself, saying that Kim's hunches had been absolutely right. The whole marriage had been a scam. Hoffman's game all along was to lull Linda into a false sense of security, bringing in his crew to kill mother and daughter, stripping them of their skin, and hoping to make a fortune. Well…Anne couldn't be too frustrated with her daughter. Thank God Kim had managed to get the poor dear out of the apartment. Now…now Anne had to track down Linda Hoffman and try to keep Monique safe in the process. Pulling on her street clothes, Anne did a quick count of the throwing knives she'd hidden on her person. Everything looked good to go.

"Okay Monique," Anne breathed as the pair emerged from changing room. "There's someone here who's in trouble and we need to get her out of here. Do you know Josie Hoffman from school?"

Monique eagerly nodded. Though she wished Kim was here too, Monique was super excited to be a part of one of her missions. Josie sat next to Monique in English class and they both loved Charles Dickens and were reading Beatrice and Hero in the class's rendition of Much Ado about Nothing. Other than taking part in class, Josie didn't really talk much and Monique could really sympathize about being new and being hesitant to reach out. Kim and Tara reached out to her when they didn't have to and actively tried to be friends with her. Monique could think of no better way to honor her closest friends than trying to do exactly what they did. And if Josie and her Mom were in trouble, she'd do whatever she could.

Both women were jerked out of their inner thoughts by a crash followed by a series of screams. Anne bolted out the door and her ears perked up. There was no mistaking those sounds; blows were being exchanged. "Stay behind me Monique." Anne took off at a trot to the main lobby just in time to see four fully woged Klaustreich dragging Linda Hoffman out the door. If you hesitate, people die. With hereditary reflexes handed down through centuries, a shimmering carbon steel blade flew through the air and embedded into the leg of the nearest kidnapper. Not losing her stride, Anne burst through the lobby doors and narrowly dodged a wild blow by the wounded Klaustreich. With a fluid motion like something out of a kung-fu movie, Anne ripped the knife out of her opponent's leg and hammered a fist into the Klaustreich's knee, a loud crunch echoing through her arm. GUNS! Anne instantly recognized the two handguns that were trained on her. Her attacker was instantly put into a headlock and providing ample cover to make any shot iffy if they didn't want to also hurt their friend.

"Don't you dare!" Anne cried, pressing the tip of her knife against her prisoner's throat. "You've got no shot!"

The three that remained in the truck seemed to weigh the options and all three seemed to accept that they really didn't have much of a shot to speak of. "We want the daughter! If we don't see you at Middleton Park tomorrow at 8 pm, this woman's head shows up on your doorstep!" With that, the truck sped away, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. Her prisoner's constant squirming was getting a little irritating so Anne twisted his neck just enough to make him pass out. It was amazing how much a medical degree could be used for besides just medicine.

This had just gone to Hell in a hand basket. Kim had told her that they would rendezvous at Amy's. That would put poor Josie out of harm's way…but they needed to get her mother free. And to do that, those bastards wanted to see Josie. However they were going to move forward, Anne knew for certain that she was going to need help. Whipping out her cellphone, Anne keyed up a familiar number. "Mack? It's Annie. We've got a situation. There's been a kidnapping at Golden Sunrise Spa. You've got one suspect unconscious at the scene…and another three with the victim. I shouldn't say anymore over the phone. Meet me at Amy's store in fifteen minutes?"

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"Are you KIDDING me? TWO Glühenvolk?"

Mackenzie Brody felt like she'd just been blind-sided by a semi-truck. In her thirty years of life, she liked to think that she'd seen a lot. Her family had been in law enforcement for almost nine generations and there had been no doubt in her mind that she wanted to continue in that proud tradition. She'd enlisted in the US Air Force right out of high school and had graduated at the top of her class in the Military Police Training Center and had been one of the precious few women to accomplish the Air Force Sniper program. After her stint had been up, there wasn't a police department that WASN'T asking about her. But…Glühenvolk? Mackenzie could remember she and her brothers sitting around their grandmother, listening to stories about the wonderful creatures. And…and not only was there one in the bedroom down the hall…but her mother was out there somewhere and needed help!

"Yes," Anne sighed, leaning over the table. "And unless we bring them Linda's daughter to them tomorrow at Middleton Park…Mack, we've GOT to help them!"

If Mack's training had drilled anything into her head, it was the sniper mindset. The most likely location for any "transaction of that sort would be the shelter pavilion in the commons area. Based on the layout, there were several avenues for a skilled shooter to cause a few headaches. The only catch was that without a semi-auto sniper rifle, ideally the M110 that she trained with, one sniper couldn't eliminate all targets before they realized the danger and killed their kidnap victim. That meant you'd need support in close. Mackenzie was confident in her abilities but eight years in the service had given her a dose of humility when innocent lives were in her line of fire.

"So what's the plan?" Mackenzie inquired.

"They're going to have her at the pavilion," Anne answered, looking her friend in the eye. "Potential shooting locations for that area?"

Mackenzie couldn't help but smile. She and Annie had started working for the Middleton Police Department and after a brief period where Mack had to come to terms with the fact that yes indeed, she was working with a Grimm, they'd become fairly good friends, having worked together on numerous cases and…off the book missions. Annie really had grown to know her very well. "You want it far enough out that they wouldn't think to look that far but close enough that the shooter could bail you out if things turned sour. First choices would be the fish cleaning station on the northwest side next to the river, the restrooms on the south side, and the jungle gym on the west side. The cover's best at the jungle gym; plus, you have the added bonus of having the sun at your back. Discourages them from taking too close a look at you."

Annie smiled and proceeded to lay out a rough plan for getting Linda Hoffman back. One way or another, both Annie and Kim would have to be present. Klaustreich in general weren't always the brightest. Madre Garda didn't associate with them on principal. But whoever was behind this would be smart enough to put two and two together, realizing that there were in fact two Grimms behind all of this. The police had one of the Klaustreich in custody in the process of being interrogated so that left four still at large. Annie and Kim could handle four of those pussies easy…but in a hostage situation like this, they'd want extra muscle. That meant that Monroe, the Blutbad friend of Annie's who was visiting from Portland would also be a part of the party.

"Okay…we all know there's an elephant in the room," Mackenzie sighed, taking a seat at the table. "Are we really going to take Josie Hoffman into this? I mean, leave out the fact that she's a Glühenvolk. Are we REALLY talking about taking a seventeen year old girl to her mother's hostage exchange?"

"I don't see that we have any choice," Taking Josie Hoffman into this Reinigen's nest…every fiber of Mackenzie's body cried out against doing this. Annie was a fiercely devoted mother, rivaling that of a Balam, and Mackenzie knew that she wouldn't take this lightly but…wait…WAIT a minute!

"Annie…what about a Specchio Verde?"

Annie's eyes grew as big as saucers and a smile began creeping across her face. Talk about it being the time for unusual Wesen. Specchio Verdes were renowned for their skills in disguise and illusion. Much like the reptilians that they resembled, a Specchio Verde could alter their appearance, taking on the woged form of any Wesen that they came into contact with. Mackenzie had sniffed out rookie Officer Manny Ortega the moment that he set foot in the precinct.

"This…this just got mighty interesting."

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Kim halfway expected to see a tumbleweed roll across the clearing between the two groups and hear twangy guitar music in the background. Talk about a Mexican standoff. She couldn't give away anything, couldn't let them know anything was up. Her kukris had been out of the question with no place to suitably conceal them on her person. Mom often swore by the merits of a few throwing knives concealed on her person. So bowing to her mother's wishes, Kim now had three stashed stealthily on her limbs. In addition, thanks in part to a little tinkering and imagination from Ron, two police batons in specially designed spring-loaded sheaths were strapped to her forearms. A part of Kim almost deliberately wished for the chance to use them.

Staring across the grassy commons, Kim could almost feel the eyes boring into her.

"We're not making the first move," Mom muttered, returning a glare with a death glare.

Kim couldn't help but glance back at Monroe. Monroe's eyes had been blood red since they left the house. This was really a side of him that Kim hadn't seen before. Blutbaden were amongst several Wesen who had the ability to localize their woge to their eyes; most of the time it allowed them to have a leg up in maintaining their human forms, only going full woge when they chose to or when the emotional state seriously spiked. More than that, Monroe almost looked like a coiled spring, waiting to be released on the nearest target. More than once, Kim had sworn that she heard him growling.

"You gonna be okay?" Kim asked, genuinely concerned for the man she thought so highly of.

"Yeah…it's just…this isn't the first time I've had a problem with Klaustreich," he muttered, never taking his gaze off of the targets. "When I was in high school, one of them got my girlfriend pregnant. And when she confronted him…the bastard slashed her face. Then, a few years ago, Nick came across one who'd married a Seltenvogel. The…that THING…had been torturing her and was prepared to steel the gold nugget growing inside her. Promise me something kiddo," For the first time in what seemed like hours, Monroe took his gaze off of their opponents. "Whenever it's a Klaustreich, don't hesitate to call me."

Kim smiled and squeezed her friend's hand. If she had anything to say about it, they'd pull this one off.

Mom nudged Kim and her attention was brought back to the situation at hand. The Klaustreich were marching forward, dragging a bound and gagged Linda Hoffman behind them. Okay…Kim had fought before. Now was the time for her game face. Mom started marching forwards and Kim and Monroe fell into line behind her. They would be stupid not to assume that both Mom and Kim were carrying weapons. The key would be to get in close enough to eliminate the advantage of their guns. Mom had absolute faith in Detective Brody's marksmanship so the key would be timing the shot just right.

Both parties came to a halt, neither one giving an inch. Kim's lips tightened at the sight of Randall Hoffman at the head of the group.

"You have no idea how much time and money I've invested into this project," Hoffman snarled, his hands closing into fists. "And then you…you march in and blow it all clean to Hell!"

"Spare me," Mom shot back.

One of the group stepped forward, looking as if he were trying calm Hoffman down. "Look…we're not selfish here. Do you have any idea how much those two are worth? We…we're willing to cut you…"

A loud clap sounded and the head of Linda Hoffman's immediate captor seemed to explode, showering everyone in the vicinity with blood and brain matter. That had been the signal. Mom had been convinced that at least one of the Klaustreich, when coming face to face with two Grimms, would try to bargain their way out of this whole thing. Detective Brody had been monitoring the whole conversation and waiting for the perfect moment.

As if released from coiled springs, Kim and the others leapt at the attackers. Flipping the catches, Kim's police batons shot out and into her hands. Kim ducked a wild blow and hammered one of the batons across the attackers face, knocking his head sideways and shaking loose a handful of teeth. Klaustreich tended to be stronger than most humans and Mom said that they could certainly sucker punch a Grimm but Kim was determined not to let that happen. Kim brought her knee up and sent her foot out towards the man's chest, striking faster than a viper. That certainly was ribs cracking under the blow.

At the sound of the gunshot, Monroe had instantly woged and leapt at the nearest Klaustreich. He…he HATED Klaustreich! This wasn't some ancient familial thing like with Bauerschwein. Ever since that bastard had quite literally scarred poor Tracy…somehow Monroe's little payback had never quite put an end to it. Monroe grabbed the one in front of him in a death-like grip. All of the frustration…all of his anger…all of it went into the headlock until he felt a snap.

Anne didn't really have all that much to do. She plowed into Randall Hoffman, catching him right in the gut. The bastard gave a heaving gasp, thankfully knocking the wind out of him. Delivering a swift blow to the head, Anne debated with herself about whether or not Hoffman would be smart enough to stay down. Kim and Monroe would be able to take out the other two. Anne just needed to keep him out of the line of fire.

When the metaphorical dust had settled, Kim took stock of what had happened in an amazingly short amount of time. Two of the monsters were on the ground, one dead, Mom had Hoffman pinned to the ground…MRS. HOFFMAN! Everything had happened so fast that Kim had forgotten the whole reason they were there. Kim knelt down and removed the blindfold, checking the woman for injuries. Other than a few bruises, she really didn't look too bad all things considered. Mom would likely perform a more thorough diagnosis once they were back at Aunt Amy's.

"Randall Hoffman was arrested for the murder of two people and the attempted murder of a third," Mom growled as she hauled Randall Hoffman to his feet. "Found at the scene, the Middleton Police had an open and shut case."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"I…I don't know how I…how I can ever…"

Anne smiled as she pulled Linda Hoffman, now once again Babineaux, into a hug. She'd been doing this a long time and Linda Babineaux had rapidly come to terms with the fact that not one but TWO Grimms had actually saved her and her daughter. Thanks to some creative reporting from Mack and a few of her contacts, Randall Hoffman had been books on two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and once Linda had sufficiently recovered enough to press charges, one count of spousal abuse and reckless endangerment of a minor. The DA's office was supremely confident based on the "evidence" that they had, Randall Hoffman would be in prison for a supremely long amount of time.

"That's the beauty of it," Anne replied, releasing her. "You never have to."

Both Kim and Josie piled out of the minivan with boxes in hand and began heading towards the new apartment complex that Linda and Josie were to be moving into. Mack managed to pull some strings with her landlord and secured a decent place for the pair of them to live just down the hall from her own apartment. Mack had been waiting for the minivan to arrive and with all five women working, they made short work of the boxes and luggage.

"Well, Kim and I have to meet Monroe and Rosalee at the car rental place and then drive them to the airport," Anne smiled, turning towards the door. "When we get back, we've got a serious girls night to work on."

_Author's Notes:_

_I've kind of had a hard time focusing on one project recently but I really wanted to at least finish this next chapter. I really wanted to combine two of my favorite Grimm episodes, "That Thing with Feathers" and "Endangered", and I'm pretty pleased with the results._


End file.
